Overview of pm133 on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of pm133

Signup date: 08 Jan 2016 at 12:02am

Last login: 30 Mar 2021 at 8:40pm

Post count: 1246

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Reading group

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
It's where you meet with others in your research group and from other research groups (if bigger) and discuss a paper which you've all read. The person leading will usually summarize the paper and raise some interesting discussion points to get things going.

There are other ways of doing it of course (Powerpoint presentation for example - but then it can be a bit like a lecture rather than a group where everyone contributes - not so interactive).

I've managed to come up with some (hopefully) interesting points linking the paper to the wider research etc. But advice for anyone else doing this - pick a meaty paper to lead on!

Oh my god I would hate doing that. That sounds an absolute waste of time.
Whatever works for people though and I suppose it also ensures people meet up and don't get too isolated.

I suppose for science though, perhaps problem solving sessions would be a good idea as an alternative.

About support for my PhD

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Midomoh:
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am looking for a tutor to help me with my PhD thesis. I am doing my PhD in Glasgow, U.K. in the area of Human Resources about the Impact of Using Social Networking (Media) on Employee Engagement in workplace. I have done draft of 2 chapters of LR, and I have received a feedback from supervisors. My research will be a qualitative using triangulation methods (semi-structured interviews and document analysis - employee comments on Social Media platform). I need help to finalize the LR chapters will the clear research questions that hope to address the knowledge gaps and develop the methodology chapter. I have found the theory - Social Exchange Theory- which very well represents the process through structured Employee Engagement model as antecedents and consequences. I have done the interviews already, and I was able securing employee chatting comments on platform as "document analysis" method. If you think that you are right person I am looking for, please let me know to discuss to help and letting me know your availability. I will offer a very competitive payment.

I hope to hear back from soon.

Thanks,

Mido

I can only echo newlease36. On your thesis you will be stating that this is all your work. If so and you have paid someone to write any of it then this must be borderline fraud. You should be doing all of this yourself.

Is it still possible? PhD dreams...

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From newlease36:
I'm not in your field, and every field is definitely different, but I don't think age will matter - why should it? you are likely more stable and have great work experience.If I were hiring I would prefer older person with experience on the job. All I can say in my field age isn't a factor and I know lots of older 30's and 40's doing Phd's and doing quite well.

In my field, however a 2.2 would pose a challenge, particularly when it comes to getting funding. Your experience, and the evidence of promotions in your job will work in your favour, and counteract that somewhat. Although if you don't have references to back that up, this is another challenge (as you are aware). But as another poster said, you don't know the first guy won't give you a good reference.

You say doing a masters isn't an option now, but personally I feel its your best option to get a Phd (one with funding and in a good lab, in an area you want (all so important factors).

You would sail through a Msc with your research experience and if you put the work in could get a 1.1. this changes he game for you so significantly- a 2.2 degree earned when you were much younger but offset by years of experience and 1.1 Msc: you would be a very attractive candidate. I fear without Msc (with good grade) you will end getting unfunded phd, or in a crappy lab, or not quite in area you want. (that's what I have seen in my field).

If finances are issue, work for a year of two and save up, it will be worth it. you could perhaps do it part time, while working.

I have heard that neuroscience is over populated with Phds, so bear that in mind. Job security is crap is seems for phds in any filed.

Quite right. Age wont be a concern. There are literally millions of jobs and we have skill shortages everywhere. Getting a GOOD job is a different matter but that is rarely age related. This age based myth really needs challenged.

Is it still possible? PhD dreams...

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Dunham:

Quote From TreeofLife:
Hi Emma,

You have nothing to lose by applying for a PhD. I think you should contact your first boss and ask if he is prepared to give a reference if contacted - you are only hearing it second hand that he is angry with you, and maybe he is, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't give you a good reference.

Yep, put down HR as your other reference, unless it states academic. Just put down a colleague if you have to.

Yes you have a 2.2, but you have a wealth of experience which should counteract that. You don't need a masters.

Personally, I doubt it matters. References often aren't requested until you have been given the PhD after a successful interview, so start applying now and worry about references later.

Most applications require two, sometimes even three references and I doubt that you get invited without them. At the Universities I was so far no one was invited to an interview before the references were there and ok. Otherwise you invite people for interviews, pay travel expenses and so on for nothing.

I agree that there is generally nothing to lose, but on the other hand there is also not so much to win. The chances are basically 0 that you could continue in research after the PhD given the extremely competitive field, your age (no offense) , lacking masters degree and a low bachelor grade. I know that there are people here who were in their 40s when they started and found a job but those people are usually rather the exception. I think the chances are high that you are afterwards forced to apply for the same technician jobs but this time you will have a much harder time to get them (overqualified, will look for something else as soon as possible etc.). Don't want to discourage you and I am not doubting that you can do it, but I would really do some thinking if this PhD is the best way to achieve whatever you desire in terms of a private life and career. It is not as if there would be someone in academia or industry waiting for people with a PhD in Biology...
As a student, I could never understand how technicians could work in a University Lab and see all these students around you getting a PhD. Now that I am a PhD student myself and see where the Post Docs are going after their Phds, it is not looking that bad anymore. Again, don't want to discourage you, just want to make sure that there are no wrong expectations about the job opportunities with a PhD. If it is just about the PhD experience and having the title then go for it. Apply for positions and consider a part-time PhD (maybe easier to get). Maybe you are lucky. Good luck!

You are absolutely dead wrong about age being an issue and frankly its about time we stopped peddling that.
The poor degree is her biggest problem by some margin because her starting base is so weak that she will need a lot of remedial work to make up for it. As for the references, that will simply depend where she applies.

Reading group

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
I'm leading a reading group next week and have selected a pretty boring paper (I should have spent more time choosing a more interesting one). There is no way to change the paper, but does anyone have any similar experiences/any tips to get through this?

What is a reading group?

Advice Required! How long should you wait for your PhD result after submitting with minors?

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From faded07:
pm133:

I would like to clarify that I am not seeking legal advice at this stage but am seeking advice through the Student's Union. I might (emphasise on the 'might') end up seeking legal advice should this result in a fail for the following reasons:

- My initial viva report which put forward the necessary revisions of my R&R was lost by the chair of my examination panel and my examiner's also failed to hold back up copies of this. This resulted in a 3 month wait for my report which, I suspect, had to be re-written and wasn't an accurate depiction of the revisions suggested on the day.

- Upon completion of my 12 months R&R I endured a 3 month wait for my result. After chasing it, the office issued me an incorrect result telling me I had failed when, it turns out, I had 6 months minor revisions because my external still wasn't happy with how I'd addressed the first round.

- The reports from my external examiner during both correction periods have been very short (around half a page) and incredibly vague making it difficult to cater to her love of precision.

- They have now given me a third revision period (which, according to the rules, doesn't exist) and a few sentences of compulsory revisions from my external which even my supervisor can't understand. She continues to be incredibly vague and it's clear that she wants the process dragged out so that I either a) give up or b) continue to work on my thesis for the rest of my life.

- As a result of all the above I have missed out on job opportunities which, in turn, has contributed to a loss of earnings.

- And, finally, I didn't appreciate the personal attack of an administrator incorrectly putting 'Dr' next to my name which resulted in an immediate investigation into my role in my new workplace. The university could have simply requested the error be rectified immediately without the need for an investigation.

Thanks for the summary. Hope it works out. I am about to enter this process myself by submitting within the next 6 weeks and the thought of going through that after 3 years of hard work and stress fills me with horror.

Mental health as a PhD student

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From alicehere:
That's so true actually, it is a big cause of worry. I think the mental pressure is too much. However, it doesn't affect some people.

Oh I am pretty sure it affects everyone. The question is whether it breaks you or not.
By the way, this won't necessarily stop when you graduate. When you hit the working world, if you want to succeed then you'll be subjecting yourself to perhaps decades of this. I remember countless years of stressing out at night over work, not sleeping well and trying to keep on top of things. I remember struggling to enjoy the weekend because only two days later I'd be back at the desk again. No, this really isn't just the PhD I'm afraid. It's modern working life and unless you opt out of it altogether work pressure isn't going away any time soon. This is why it is so important to figure out how to be resilient.

Competition instead of Collaboration

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Bah:
Thank you so much DrCorinne for your wise advice. You exactly got my situation right and I feel your recommendation will be really helpful. I have recently started to act that way and I feel it's working! In response to pm133 and Tudor_Queen, I will give you some examples when this semester finishes. Since I don't know real identities here, I have some concerns about this semester. I will soon provide some more information. Thank you so much for caring!

No problem. Some examples would certainly help provide context because nothing you have told us so far has provided any proof of racism. The problem with that is that if everyone assumes racism is the problem then you will receive advice on how to handle racism. That could make a bad situation much much worse for you. I'm not asking for examples to be a pain in the backside. I'm asking for examples so that I can understand your problem as fully as possible before recommending a solution. I think it's worth clarifying my own position on this for your benefit.

Having said all of that, you probably should be careful about what you put online as you never know who is reading.

Balancing Work, Studies, Family Life, and Enough Sleep

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Bah:
Thank you so so much for your lovely comments. Each one of them helped me in one way. In response to pm133 I should say that he hasn't changed his mind. He says in a sarcastic way that he can quit his job: meaning that there won't be any more tuition for me to go to school and same with all the other expenses. I appreciate everybody's advice. DrCorinne, thanks so much. You exactly understand where I am standing and what will be helpful. I have started to do so. Just I hope it will continue to work. Thanks again to everybody's kindness in commenting.

That's awful. I think I've made my thoughts on your husband's attitude pretty clear and this reinforces that. If you were my daughter your husband and I would be having a very serious conversation indeed. It's stories like yours which have caused me to continually talk to my daughters about making very careful choices of partner.

As a thought, is it possible that your husband is jealous of you? That he's afraid you will have an equal or better qualification than him? That you'll end up with a better job? Or more pay?

No woman in 2016 should be subjected to this level of domestic abuse from her husband for daring to chase her dreams. I think abuse is the right word for it.

Incidentally, you asked in an earlier post "Where is the limit of selfishness and self-devotion?" I would say that the limit is when one side is being controlled and taken advantage of to the extent that their quality of life is suffering. It's one thing sacrficing for a worthy cause such as looking after a child or a sick parent. It's quite another when there is absolutely no reason for it other than one person exerting unreasonable control over the other.

Post-viva revisions submitted- examiners can't reach agreement, what now?

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From scoutingforgeeks:
Hi All,
I'm writing this post on behalf of a good friend, she is an international student (Kurdish) studying at my UK institution. She called me in a panic yesterday (from Kurdistan, where she's been writing revisions for the past year) asking me to try to find out what's going to happen to her and what her options are. What happened is this:
One year ago she passed the viva with revisions (not sure if minor or major) and resubmitted about 2 months ago. At this point while the internal examiner accepted the revisions, but the external did not. Her supervisors are really angry about this and have told her not to worry but they need to find a third examiner to cast the deciding vote. My friend wants to know, if this vote goes against her, what happens next? Is there any possibility of appeal/re-examination etc.?

In these circumstances I would approach this in a practical manner. Find out what the external supervisor wants and give them what they ask for unless they are asking for your first born child. Get agreement with the internal supervisor that this is the approach to take.

I learned this from submitting papers over the last few years.
One reviewer asks for a whole load of stuff when everyone else says it's OK. I simply find ways to give them it, seeking absolute clarification if necessary. Bowing, scraping and fawning at the knee of the wise owl reviewer if that is required as well. I can't remember how many times I have "thanked the reviewer for their valuable and gratifying comments".
So far I have been lucky and have had everything published on the second submission, even in the face of initially very harsh comments such as "This work simply cranks the wheel, adding nothing of substance". Everyone loves to be fluffed. You have to put your ego to one side, ignore the personal stuff (which actually makes for great stories over a beer or a coffee) and deal with the core of what they want. Too many people allow their egos to take over, take everything too personally and start picking fights with the wrong people and this results inevitably in serious problems.

Your method of accessing research once read

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Teaddict:
So here is a question for you guys.

You are writing a section of your PhD. You have read about forty or fifty articles that directly relate to that section and that you wish to reference in that section. How do you keep a track of it all?

Do you write condescended half page cheat cheats, memorise everything, leave post-it notes everywhere? How do you keep track of everything you have read so you don't forget to include articles and data?

I keep a folder of papers, printed out usually but also online, and I highlight the important bits with a marker pen. I also like to summarise the paper and staple my notes on the back. Crucially I try not to leave it too long before publishing so that I get an early chance to write things formally. Then for my thesis I largely cut and paste. That has worked perfectly for me and all my published work is now in my thesis. I am on the last chapter but this is work I have dipped in and out of for over 2 years and so I am finding it a nightmare to writeup the literature review for it and also the methods, the work itself, the results and discussion, everything really. The last mile is truly proving the most challenging.

You also absolutely want to be keeping records of things in a referencing package like Bibtex or whatever. You'll regret it if you don't I suspect.

Advice Required! How long should you wait for your PhD result after submitting with minors?

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From faded07:

Quote From pm133:

Quote From PracticalMouse:

Quote From pm133:

Quote From PracticalMouse:
I hope you're now considering legal advice regarding your situation - someone clearly has it in for you, and you need to make sure you've covered your bases. Despicable behaviour on their part - an honest mistake that could have been rectified discreetly, but that's clearly not their agenda.

Legal action? Against who? On what grounds? How should it be funded?
I cant imagine adding a legal case to the current situation would help faded07.

That's why I used the words 'considering' and 'advice'. In light of further developments I think not totally unwarranted.

I have not followed all of this posters story so I am unaware of any illegal behaviour by anyone.
This simply looks like a story of one person struggling to prove their work is good enough to win a PhD in the face of quite a few setbacks and what seems a poor initial submission.
That is why I was asking you what grounds she could sue and who she should sue. I am still interested in hearing your view on that
whether you use the words consider and advise or not.

Thank you for the 'poor initial submission' comment which has really boosted my morale. The thesis I initially submitted hasn't actually been edited - it has only ever been added to so I guess my examiner's had no problem with the quality of what I'd written, they just wanted more chapters added in on things that suited my external's stance on the topic.

I appreciate your insight though if you truly believe the legal route isn't the way to go. I think it may well be eventually (thank you PracticalMouse) but I'm trying to hold off on it for as long as possible. I'm currently seeking advice from the Student Union and my supervisor.

I based my comment on the fact you had to go through a 12 month Revise and Resubmit, with several chapters missing by your own admission. In any case I was referring to state of your thesis nearly two years ago. My comment was not a personal attack and should have had no effect on your morale. I can't understand why it would. The only reason I even mentioned it was to try and persuade another poster to detail why they thought legal advice should be a consideration.

Anyway, the point is that you have clearly improved your thesis to a point where only minor revisions are required. Under those circumstances I don't understand the need for legal action but you are clearly considering it. I am only asking on what grounds you feel legal action would be appropriate because if you haven't thought it through, it could be a disastrous route to take for all sorts of reason: not the least of which is potential for ruining your own state of mind. Is there something specific which is leading you to think about going down a legal route?

Worried they will ask me to leave PhD

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From Alanine:
I am in my first year of my PhD after doing a one year training programme (1+3 phd studentship)

I am organically a biomed student with no maths background and moved into a 'big data' bioinformatics type PhD. I passed my PhD year 1 review with good feedback (we are graded using concerned, average, good and excellent)

I have felt that the past year I wasn't good enough and have been tricking supervisors and academics by acting confidently and that's how I got through the year. I had a car crash of a meeting this week because my supervisors (one new who has just joined) started questioning me on statistical analysis. I have been on courses and used all of these methods but just haven't thought about it (been doing a systematic review since the Summer) and am really bad at quickly thinking about these things, I need time to sort it out on paper. I know I'll need to improve and get more confident in viva style questioning, I just wasn't expecting it as our meeting are normally an informal chat.

Today my supervisor told me she was taken aback by my lack of knowledge and I could tell she was disappointed. I have completely lost confidence in everything, and am terrified they will ask me to leave. I feel so stressed and anxious I can't stop crying and had to leave work. I don't know what to do.

I agree with Dunham. This is real life kicking you. You need to tale a short walk, sort yourself out and start. figuring out how to catch up ln your theoretical background as quickly as possible. There is absolutely no good alternative.

Advice Required! How long should you wait for your PhD result after submitting with minors?

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From PracticalMouse:

Quote From pm133:

Legal action? Against who? On what grounds? How should it be funded?
I cant imagine adding a legal case to the current situation would help faded07.

That's why I used the words 'considering' and 'advice'. In light of further developments I think not totally unwarranted.

Advice Required! How long should you wait for your PhD result after submitting with minors?

pm133 1246 posts
8 years ago

Quote From faded07:
So I finally got my result...which isn't really much of a result. As I've stated before, I doubt my 'congratulations Dr' email will ever come.

Although I've had 12 months R&R, followed by a 6 month minor revision period - both of which have taken up 2 years of my life (my viva was in December 2014), due to the dispute over my revisions, I have been given special permission by the Deputy Vice Chancellor to give further consideration to what my external examiner wants. As a result of this, I've been sent a rather vague 3 paragraphs of further revisions to do over the next 6 months (even though my last submission was meant to be my final submission - as per the university regulations).

This is a result I was not expecting at all because my last outcome letter said that my last submission would indeed be my last. So the thought of going back to my thesis now just seems impossible - I can barely remember large chunks of it.

I am absolutely sure at this stage that however I attempt to do these corrections will not please my external as we clearly are living in parallel universes. I am also sure that, if I resubmit for a third time, I will be waiting until 2018 for my result which, quite likely, will be a fail as my external has repeatedly shown that she does not want this thesis passed.

I think this revision period is just a way of giving the university more time to figure out how to deal with the situation. It's just time buying, nothing more.

So I don't know what to do. I've just thrown half my work across the room out of rage so, as you can imagine, I'm dealing with the situation very well.

My job is also incredibly demanding and I can barely stay afloat. There's no way I'm walking away from the PhD...but I don't deem this situation fair at all. Any advice greatly appreciated.

You are in a difficult situation and it is impossible not to empathise with you but the fact of the matter is that if you want your PhD award you will need to find a way to get this mountain scaled. For a start you need to find a way of changing your mindset. Understandably you feel victimised here but that mindset is poisonous and risks ruining you. You are being given another chance to pass this. If you accept that in a positive mindset then you regain some control. Remaining a victim puts others in control. I dont recommend that. Right now this is not about who is right or wrong. Its about recognising what is within your power to control and making it happen to the best of your abilities. Once you have pass it you will have the rest of your life to assign blame for what has happened to you. Right now you have other priorities.